Nightcloud's Quest- 2nd in the Nightcloud series
by LeopardFang
Summary: Nightcloud has become close friends with Smokeheart, Nightlily, and Fallenleaves. She is still puzzling over the mysterious prophecy Silverstream and Feathertail gave her, when a distressed Squirrelflight arrives and Nightcloud realizes Smokeheart might mean more to her than she had previously thought…
1. Allengiances

**Fallen warriors**

Fallenleaves- a white tom with russet and orange patches and bright green eyes (_Fallen Leaves)_

Nightlily- a pure glossy black she-cat with leaf green eyes (_Hollyleaf)_

Smokeheart- a sleek light grey tom with dark blue eyes (_Ashfur)_

Nightcloud- a pure shadow black she-cat with bright amber eyes (_Nightcloud)_

**Thunderclan**

Leader

Bramblestar- a dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Deputy

Squirrelflight- a russet colored she-cat with green eyes and a white forepaw

Medicine cats

Jayfeather- a light gray tabby tom with blind bright blue eyes

Leafpool- a light brown tabby she-cat with light amber eyes

Briarlight- a dark brown she-cat with paralyzed back legs and bright eyes

Warriors

Cloudtail- a long furred white tom with bright blue eyes

Brightheart- a white she-cat with orange patches and one bright green eye

Thornclaw- a golden brown tabby tom with dark green eyes

Spiderleg- a long limbed black tom with a brown underbelly and amber eyes

Birchfall- a light brown tabby tom with sharp amber eyes

Poppyfrost- a tortoishell and white she-cat with bright green eyes

Whitewing- a white she-cat with bright green eyes

Berrynose- a cream colored tom with a torn ear and bright eyes

Hazeltail- a gray and white she-cat with bright eyes

Mousewhisker- a gray and white tom with bright green eyes

Cinderheart- a gray tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes

Lionblaze- a golden tom with sharp amber eyes

Foxleap- reddish tabby tom with bright green eyes

Icecloud- a white she-cat with bright blue eyes

Toadstep- a black and white tom with bright eyes

Rosepetal- a dark cream she-cat with bright eyes

Blossomfall- a tortoishell and white she-cat with bright eyes

Bumblestripe- a pale gray tom with black tabby stripes and bright eyes

Dovewing- pale gray she-cat with light blue eyes

Ivypool- a silver and white tabby she-cat with bright blue eyes

Apprentices

Cherrypaw- a ginger she-cat with amber eyes

Molepaw- a brown and cream tom with amber eyes

Queens

Sorreltail- a tortoishell and white she-cat with soft amber eyes (mother to Lilykit and Seedkit)

Daisy- long furred cream she-cat with light blue eyes

Brightheart- a white she-cat with ginger patches (mother to Snowkit, Dewkit and Amberkit)

Kits

Lilykit- a dark brown tabby she-kit with white patches (mother Sorreltail)

Seedkit- a very pale ginger she-kit (mother Sorreltail)

Snowkit- a white tom-kit (mother Brightheart)

Dewkit- a light gray tom-kit (mother Brightheart)

Amberkit- a gray and white she-kit (mother Brightheart)

Elders

Graystripe- a long furred grey tom with a stripe on his back and bright yellow eyes

Mille- a silver tabby she-cat with sharp blue eyes

Dustpelt- a dark brown tabby tom with bright amber eyes

Sandstorm- pale ginger she-cat with bright green eyes

**Windclan**

Leader

Onestar-a light brown tabby tom with bright yellow eyes

Deputy

Ashfoot-a gray she-cat with sharp amber eyes

Medicine Cats

Kestrelflight- a mottled gray tom with leaf green eyes

Warriors

Crowfeather- a pure black tom with ice blue eyes

Owlwhisker- a light brown tabby tom with wide blue eyes

Whitetail- a small white she-cat with sharp amber eyes

Gorsetail-a pale gray-and-white tom with bright blue eyes

Weaselfur-a ginger tom with white paws and sharp blue eyes

Harespring-a brown-and-white tom with sharp orange eyes

Antpelt-a brown tom with one black ear and sharp brown eyes

Emberfoot-a gray tom with two dark paws and bright amber eyes

Heathertail- a light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Breezepelt-a pure black tom with sharp green eyes

Sedgewhisker-a light brown tabby she-cat with sharp amber eyes

Swallowtail-a dark gray she-cat with dark brown eyes

Sunstrike-a tortoiseshell she-cat with bright eyes

Apprentices

Whiskerpaw-a light brown tom with green eyes

Furzepaw-a gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes

Boulderpaw-a large pale gray tom with brown eyes

Elders:

Webfoot-a dark gray tabby tom with pale blue eyes

Tornear-a brown tabby tom with bright amber eyes

**Starclan **_(Only the ones the fallen warriors know)_

Silverstream- a silver tabby she-cat with bright blue eyes

Feathertail- a silver tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes


	2. Prologue

**Prologue**

The russet furred deputy walked through chest deep snow. Her bright green eyes pierced the shadows with shining determination. The memory of her previous mate's amber eyes burning with betrayal and rage made her blood run colder than the snow surrounding her.

Squirrelflight saw the four cats she was looking for. She saw a shadow black she-cat tense as she approached, as an expressionless mask fell over her features, it alerted the others.

Squirrelflight's sharp green eyes caught the sky blue eyes of her previous mate.

She noticed everything, The way his front claws slid out and how his face fell emotionless, how he pinned his ears to the back of his head. How his voice came out as hiss, "Squirrelflight"

However she also noticed how he stepped half a step to the left as if to guard the shadow black she-cat. How the shadow black she-cat did the same to him. How the young glossy black she-cat stepped to his side, and the orange and white tom stepped forward a step.

Squirrelflight noticed how they were trusting of each other. She sat down and said,

"Hello, Fallen warriors"

Then she collapsed from the freezing cold that had penetrated her short fur and seemed to seep through her skin, all the way into her soul and her beating heart.

Her last thought before she fell unconscious was short and simple,

_Survive no matter the cost._

_**The chapters will be longer and from a specific cat's point of view (Pov) but I felt like this story needed a Prologue, and yes Nightcloud is still the main character, I should update soon. ~Leopardfang **_


	3. Chapter 1

**Nightcloud Pov**

Something about the beautiful she-cat ticked me off- even before I saw Smokeheart's reaction. I cautiously took a half a step closer to him and gave Squirrelflight a fiery glare.

Her eyes only locked with mine a moment before they landed on Smokeheart- or as she knows him- Ashfur.

"Hello Fallen warriors" she managed before collapsing.

Fallenleaves was active in an instant grabbing the scruff of her neck and dragging her threw the snow towards the cave, "Wells is anyon goin' to elp e" he said through the mouth-full of russet fur.

Nightlily then beat her shock and helped drag Squirrelflight. I started to help but stopped when I realized Smokeheart wasn't following me, When I turned he was nowhere to be found.

"SMOKEHEART" I called partly surprised at the amount of panic in my tone.

I called, "I'll catch up in a moment" to Nightlily and Fallenleaves and bolted calling Smokeheart's name.

I found him where I knew he would be. On the 'ledge of solitude' as I called it.

I noticed how his blue eyes matched the sky perfectly. His eyes were so beautiful. The inky black pupil surrounded by a dark blue that got lighter until it was a light blue at the ragged edges of his iris.

His voice brought me back to reality, "I waited for her, you know" he said.

I walked over to him and sat by his side lightly brushing my fur against his.

"I had fallen in love with her when I was just an apprentice, I liked how she was so strong and impulsive, yet seemed so sweet and caring." He admitted and by the nervous look in his eyes I knew that he wasn't used to opening up. I knew I had that look all the time. Heartbreak puts a strain on you, I knew that myself.

"I was to nervous to ask her out, though, and then when I had finally gained the courage, she had left to travel far far away" he said and paused a moment glancing in my direction.

"I went to her sister everyday, I had to know how little miss Squirrelpaw was doing" he spoke her name with such rage that it made me stare at him.

"When she finally appeared I realized just how much I loved her… She was so upset that Feathertail had died and I comforted her when no one else would" Smokeheart continued.

"And then a badger came. She was vulnerable laying scared at the badgers paws. I didn't even think. I attacked it. I saved her life." With those words he shifted his left leg and reveled a huge scar across the inside of his paw all the way to his shoulder.

"I was embarrassed that I had gotten hurt and hid it to everyone, Including Squirrelflight and Leafpool" He shifted uncomfortably as he said this, "she said that she loved me after that and soon after we became mates"

"But I should have known, I should have known not to trust her, She betrayed me by choosing Brambleclaw over me, then had the nerve to tell her kits to avoid me" he sucked in a breath, "People had grown to trust and become friends with Squirrelflight. She did help in saving us all. Everyone stopped trusting me, And started spreading rumors. The only cat who kept his trust was Firestar, and he gave me Lionpaw to prove that I was loyal"

"But by then I was too far in rage to care…" he trailed off and I didn't press for information, instead I shifted closer to him. "Squirrelflight sounds like a fox-heart"

He just nodded and muttered, "I became a Fox-heart" I pressed closer to him, to comfort him, until I could feel his body heat seep into me. At first he tensed, and I could feel his shoulder muscles contract, but just as I was about to pull away he relaxed and a bittersweet scent filled my nose. It smelt like pine and sweat, like a cat that loves nature and is not afraid to get dirty.

I barley stopped myself from digging my head into his chest as I mumbled, "You're not a Fox-heart" I didn't know what had came over me to want to do that though.

_I do not love the usually smirking sharp tongued tom. No. not gonna happen. I am NOT going to fall in love again. It only causes pain…_

That's when I felt Smokeheart tensed and swing around. I jolted at the sudden loss of contact and slipped on the sleek layer of Ice that had at some part covered the snow during Smokeheart's heartbroken confession.

Sharp cold air hit my sharply and I scrambled for purchase and I started to fall. Wind rushed past me and I gasped for air as I fell.

Something sharp dug into the scruff of my neck and my desend stopped abruptly. I swung and my head hit a rock, causing light to explode behind my eyelids.

I grew dizzy as I glanced at the far away ground before I heard a huff of breath and my feet were returned to the ground, for a moment, before I collapsed.

I tried to stand and fell over. I stumbled to my feet and hauled up the contents of my stomach off the cliff. Trying to stay rooted to the ground as a blurry world spun.

When the world stopped spinning and my vision cleared, feeling returning to my body and I became aware of something warm stroking the space right behind my ear and a comforting voice, "Shh, Princess, you're alright, You're alright"

My eyes opened to meet Smokeheart's features laid out in perfect clarity. His scent was so strong that it enveloped me like a comforting blanket. The blue in his eyes hit me with sudden clarity. Making me gasp for breath as I relised that i had begun to fall in love.

I shook of the warm feeling with a feeling of dread. My walls building back up.

"I'm so sorry I didn't mean to scare you all" a sweet voice said and Smokeheart moved out of view as I jumped up. I shook out the black spots that had formed in my vision, before I knew that the cat was Squirrelflight.

Her dark russet fur was bright against the snow around her, while her single white paw matched the snow exactly, and Her bright green eyes matched the pine tree right beside her.

I sighed in annoyance at how beautiful she was. _I wish I was that pretty. Not just a black she-cat, _I thought darkly after giving a single glance at the grey tom beside me. He was staring blankly at the she-cat with something dangerous in his eyes.

Squirrelflight smiled at Smokeheart and blinked her green eyes a little more than necessary. She set her fluffy tail onto her front paws as she sat lightly, in the snow.

"Squirrelflight shouldn't you be sleeping, you collapsed from being in the cold for so long" I pointed out and she shifted her head away from Smokeheart. So he couldn't see the cold glare she sent me. She took a step towards me and I felt Smokeheart tense beside me.

"Ashfur, I really have to talk to you, but may I have a word with…?" she Trailed off for a name. I straightened, and realized with satisfaction that I was almost an inch taller than Squirrelflight. "Nightcloud" I said menacingly.

She gave Smokeheart a sweet smile, And he looked torn.

"_Smokeheart_ I would actually like to have a word with Squirrelflight, it's fine, go ask Nightlily if we need to go hunting" I said and was relieved when he smirked, "Mmm Kay Princess"

Squirrelflight gave me a confused glance at Smokeheart's retreating form when he said my nickname, before Squirrelflight stepped closer to me.

"Listen up Nightcloud, you are going to stay away from Ashfur" she said calmly as if she was all-powerful and I would do anything she said.

"I can do anything I want" I said slightly annoyed.

"You can, yes, but I do hold all the prey" Squirrelflight said rolling her cold eyes.

"What do you mean by that" I demanded, confused.

"I have Bramblestar and all of Thunderclan wrapped around my paw. If I wanted I could tell them that the Fallen Warriors kidnapped and hurt me" She tapped her single white paw in emphasis, "Thunderclan warriors and Apprentices against four cats, is not good odds don't you think?"

"Is that a threat?!" I said, furious.

"Wow, you're really bright aren't you" Squirrelflight said sarcastically rolling her eyes again.

"I could just kill you" I pointed out.

"Wouldn't change the outcome of Thunderclan attacking your little group here" she said tapping her paw impatiently.

"I could tell Smokeheart that you threatened us and we could make you leave telling the truth" I defended.

"Would he trust the ignorant she-cat he's known for about two moons or the beautiful she-cat who he's known all his life, especially if I told him that the only reason I wasn't with him was because I was afraid Bramblestar would hurt me if I denied him" Squirrelflight threatened, "I told you that I hold all the prey"

I tried to find a hole in her plan. My thoughts were racing yet it seemed like a plan that took a long time to come up with, while I had only seconds.

"He would trust me?" I said but it came out as a question. I trusted him so blindly. He should trust me more than the she-cat who broke his heart.

"Now leave, and never come back" Squirrelflight said, "Or Smokeheart might find a very furious Thunderclan Leader on the dirty welcome mat"

For a second I hesitated, and said "Smokeheart will look for me"

"He won't because I'll tell him 'some pure black tom with frosty blue eyes' came and Nightcloud left with him" Squirrelflight said. She gave a bittersweet smile, "After all he is used to a she-cat leaving him for others"

"It's not like I'm mates with the insolent tom" I defended myself even though being his mate wasn't as bad as I made it sound.

"Goodbye Nightcloud, I'll never see you again, I suppose" she said menacingly and my tail dropped.

"You'll see. He will come look for me" I said surely but a seed of doubt was still in me, "And so will Nightlily and Fallenleaves"

I saw an Idea light up her eyes. _Not good… _I thought, and I was right. It was very bad.

"Not if you tell them you're leaving yourself"

**Looks like Nightcloud is falling for a certain grey tom. Also SQUIRREFLIGHT IS EVIL. Ok if you read my profile you would know that I HATE Squirrelflight. If you want to read my non-sane rant then look on my profile, Unless you like Squirrelflight or Brambleclaw. I mean I ship SquirrelxBramble but I hate both of them. Ok I'll try not to rant, though I feel like breaking something and this computer is right in front of me… so I should update soon… And concentrate on purple unicorns instead of Squirrelflight… -Leopardfang**


	4. Chapter 2

**_Previously_**

"You'll see. He will come look for me" I said surely, but a seed of doubt was still in me, "And so will Nightlily and Fallenleaves"

I saw an Idea light up her eyes. _Not good… _I thought, and I was right. It was very bad.

"Not if you tell them you're leaving yourself"

_**Now- **_**Nightcloud Pov**

The world spun dangerously as I watched the russet she-cat lick her single white paw in amusement at my reaction. I had hissed angrily at first, before settling down and staring blankly at her.

She _couldn't_ be serious. It just wasn't possible.

"I can't leave them" I found myself saying and Squirrelflight just set her paw down and said, "I can run to Brambleclaw"

I hesitated, weighing my options. 1) Stay and be all happy and loyal but, cause the deaths of all the fallen warriors 2) Tell them I'm leaving because of two insolent toms making them think I betrayed them but, causing them to survive

"How do I know you won't still send Brambleclaw on them even if I leave?" I asked.

"Because my whole reason in coming is to keep Ashfur depressed, and you seem to be challenging that cause a lot more than the others. You're betrayal will _break_ him." Squirrelflight said in such a calm tone that made my eyes narrow and a small hiss escape through my sharp teeth.

"Why me? I mean I'm glad Nightlily and Fallenleaves don't have to make this decision. But _Why me_?"

She laughs. A bittersweet devious laugh. "Why? Because he loves you obviously"

"He doesn't. We're just friends" I answered through clenched teeth.

"Sure, you two cuddling up there beneath the beautiful skies was a _friendly_ thing to do"

I found my tail had begun to flick back and forth in that embarrassed way and was glad that my fur was black to hide the heat that came to the tips of my ears.

"Anyway, Dear Smokey is waiting, can't disappoint him can we?" She said smiling at my now defeated expression.

_Because I would do anything for the fallen warriors._

So I just followed her though the undergrowth, towards Smokeheart, and towards all my friends.

Squirrelflight stepped into the clearing, but I hesitated watching the tense in Smokeheart's muscles when Squirrelflight appeared. But then I stepped out and the relief on Smokeheart's face made me want to cry at what I was just about to do.

"S-Smokeheart" I stuttered and he froze his eyes creasing in worry, because I never stuttered.

"I saw Breezy today, and Crowfeather, they came all the way from Windclan to try to get me to come back to Windclan. They said everyone missed me and that they would do anything to get me to come back" I said, the lies sliding easily off my tongue, from years of practice.

Four pair of eyes were on me. Three were green, but one was such a brilliant blue that I found myself blinking away tears. My breathing was coming in barely contained gasps and when Smokeheart stepped forward to comfort me, I turned.

And did the best thing I can, what I always do. I had done it to get away from my father. I had done it to get away from my mentor. I had done it to get away from my mate. I had done it to get away from my son.

I had done it to get away from the only cat who I trust blindly.

The tom Whose betrayal's black talons have began to suck the life from .I could still see the broken expression in his face, before that mask had covered his face. That expression that I knew to well. I had always had it before.

Now I was running away from it. Trying to loose myself in the sharp winds that tugged at my fur and the sharp cold beneath my paws.

I stopped beside a lake, out of breath. I found myself thinking through the prophecy as I always seemed to do recently.

"_Night, Smoke, Lily, and Leaves will brand together"_

That part seemed pretty straight forward. And I translated, 'Nightcloud, Smokeheart, Nightlily, and Fallenleaves will brand together'

"_Through fire and Ice"_

That was definitely more confusing, but I found myself thinking of the time of the fire that had destroyed Thunderclan and Windclan for a while. Smokeheart had saved me then. It had created a sort of bond I suppose.

Then I thought of the second part. My first snowball fight came to mind. The excited look in Smokeheart's eyes. The warm feeling I had had despite the cold… I forced my thoughts away.

"_Through Blood and Bruises" _

The blood part had to be when Smokeheart and I had heard a yelp and then raced to find Fallenleaves was leaking scarlet onto the snow. My old clan had learned that I was alive then and I had pledged my allegiance to the Fallen warriors. My worry for Fallenleaves was unreal. I remembered the empty feeling when I saw all that blood… the worry for a friend. I had not ever before felt that worry. After he had healed I had realized just how much these cats meant to me.

The bruises part had to have been when I had fallen off that cliff, saving Breezepelt's life and leading to me meeting the Fallen Warriors. Feeling how easy-going and nice they were. How at home I felt with them. How they had helped me without asking for a price, The only person who had ever done that had been my mother.

"_Through dead hearts and cold hearts"_

That line had always confused me. I hadn't understood what it meant. I had a pretty good feeling now though… my mother had told me once that eyes were the window to the soul… and Squirrelflight's had been pretty cold, and I felt… I felt pretty dead now. Pretty Lifeless from such a cold emptiness that it made me stagger and made me feel warm tears flow down my sleek black fur. _We would only break apart because of this, not brand together…_I found myself thinking.

"_To complete the ultimate task"_

That only task that seemed worthwhile now was finding a way to make the Fallen Warriors realize that I had not betrayed them, _without_ causing their deaths. If they died I would never forgive myself… but that look on Smokeheart's face broke me.

It _Broke_ me…

I found myself forgetting the rest of the prophecy and gasping as tears raced down my cheeks. '_Forget Feathertail. Forget Silverstream. Forget Squirrelflight.' _I thought hopelessly, '_Forget Fallenleaves. Forget Nightlily.'_

I couldn't even bring myself to think about forgetting Smokeheart. The light dancing in those sky blue eyes and the smile in his voice during our snowball fight was _unforgettable._

The choice I made was _Unforgivable._

These are my thoughts as I stare into the depths of the lake, too absorbed in my thoughts to hear the almost silent footsteps behind me…

**Sorry it took me so long to update. Looks like Nightcloud choose to save her friends, even if it meant she would have to leave them. She's having some angsty thoughts and some cat is approaching her while she's unaware. Who is the mysterious cat? What thoughts are going on behind a certain pair of sky blue eyes? What does the rest of the prophecy mean? What trouble will Squirrelflight cause next? These questions will hopefully be answered in the next update. -Leopardfang**


	5. Chapter 3

_**Previously**_

_These are my thoughts as I stare into the depths of the lake, too absorbed in my thoughts to hear the almost silent footsteps behind me…_

**Nightcloud Pov**

Pain suddenly exploded in my neck, jolting me into action.

I ducked the dusty brown paw that had swung towards my head, and rolled to the side. I swept my paws under my opponent making her lose her balance as her paws fell from beneath her. She was on her feet and lunging at me quicker then I had ever seen a cat do. She caught me off balance when she shoved her dark brown tail in my eyes and then succeeded in clawing my shoulder, leaving deep cuts. But that left her chest open for a moment and that was all the time I needed, my claws leaving shallow, but long, cuts across the glossy fur.

The cat, a she-cat I realized, quickly rolled away and said, "Wow, you're good. I haven't have a real match in many moons"

The young she-cat had dusty brown fur that was laced with honey brown tabby stripes. Her eyes were what caught my attention though, they were a bright golden, Filled with excitement and surprise.

"Who are you, what do you want?" I asked the mysterious young she-cat, she looked about apprentice age, surprisingly good for her age.

"I'm Honey, Some silver cat told me to find you. It was actually pretty strange. I was just sitting there hunting and some silver cat showed up and told me to find 'The cloud of endless nights and burning fires' I of course had no idea, who that was. So the younger silver cat, Did I say there were two?, Said to find you by a river of rushing water. I figured that I must see if you were worth finding. By seeing how good a fighter you were. What should I call you, I mean I'm not going to call you 'Cloud of endless nights and burning fires'. Not that I don't mean to disrespect your name or anything. I mean I suppose it's an okay name. Anyway I never even asked you if that was even you that I was supposed to find. Did I?..."

I blinked at the rambling she-cat and said, "If they were silver she-cats then I suppose that yes it was me you were supposed to find, My name is Nightcloud"

She sighed in relief, "Good, because it would be awkward if I just said all that to some random cat-" she started but stopped when a call could be heard.

"NIGHTCLOUD" I could hear a soft yet strong voice call, that I recognized as Nightlily's. "NIGHTCLOUD"

She then appeared and narrowed her leaf green eyes at Honey and the blood that was smeared on our fur. "Nightlily… This is-"

Honey interrupted me, "Hello I'm Honey. Some silver cats told me to find Nightcloud. So I did. Oh… you look pissed…"

Nightlily smiled half-heartily at Honey, "You should meet the others. Say hello to both the toms, and glare at the she-cat. They are up that hill, I have something to say to Nighty here"

Honey looked between us and said, "Ok… see you then… _Nighty_" She giggled and ran off.

Nightlily focused her intense gaze on me and said, "Explain"

I gulped, "IsawmysonandmateCrowfeatherwhowantedtobemymateagainsoisaidyesandimsohappy"

She blinked at my rushed explanation and I could tell she hadn't understood a word. "Don't give me that. Give me the truth"

"That is the truth"

Nightlily sighed dramatically, "Sure you want to leave the tom that you've fallen in love with" Sarcasm coated her words and a half-smirk settled on her face when my face showed shock.

"Oh don't look at me like that. You've fallen in love with a certain tom smoky grey with dreamy sky blue eyes" she taunted, before growing serious again. "So tell me, what the Starclan made you change your mind. It was Squirrelflight wasn't it? Listen to me, she changes nothing."

My gaze went downward, "You don't understand…"

"So explain" Nightlily replied patiently her eyes blinking slowly.

"But she… She would…"

"What. What did she do, Threaten you? You don't seem like a she-cat who is easily intimidated."

"She threatened to strike war, between us and all of Thunderclan. No offence, but a whole clan against four cats doesn't stand much chance."

Nightlily looked deep in thought but then the wind changed and I got a sharp tang of pine and smoke and salt and tom, coming from a lone figure that stood watching us. But the tom that stood there had smoky grey fur and bright sky blue eyes, but those eyes were glossy and the fur under them dark with hot tears.

I practically ran up to him and collapsed at his feet. He looked at me with a look of surprise and slight amusement. My bright amber eyes begged for forgiveness and to my surprise he lowered his long smoky grey neck and touched his pitch black nose to my dark pink one. A deep rumbling purr exploded from his throat, hesitant at first but growing in intensity when my soft purr filled in its harmony.

Nightlily snickered from behind us, "Shouldn't we see what we are going to do with our sneaky squirrel problem?"

Smokeheart pulled away from me to speak. I quickly backtracked till I was once again standing beside Nightlily, as he spoke in a voice filled with a strange mixture of amusement, relief, and concern. "Let's just say that Fallenleaves has been dealing with that little problem."

Nightlily burst out laughing and I wondered what that meant. "What?"

"It means that _Squirrelflight_ had some catnip in her food, She must be acting like a _flying squirrel_ now" Nightlily smirked, "I'm sure Bramblestar has his mate back by now"

I blinked in bewilderment and suddenly Nightlily burst out, "Race ya'" and bolted towards our home. I glanced at Smokeheart and was relieved when I got a smile in return. "Don't worry. No hard feelings over this whole thing."

Then he bolted and I smirked and called after him, "You know that you can't win a race against me, why do you even try?" I bolted, laughing as I passed him, Relived at the full-hearted chuckle that I received in return.

_Maybe, this wasn't the end of everything after all…_

But even as I thought those words black edged at my vision, and I found myself back at Starclan's hunting grounds.

Silverstream and Feathertail appeared in front of me and their words this time were urgent and to my surprise I thought I saw scarlet glittering on Silverstream's right side and Feathertail's left ear.

"_Even as Night grows strong, Light grows weak._

_Even as Honey is sweet, Maple is bitter._

_Even as two become one, four becomes five._

_So beware, nothing is always as it seems"_

I was annoyed, so I exclaimed. "I haven't even fully finished the first prophecy?!"

"I'm sorry Nightcloud, but there is no time to wait." Feathertail said solemnly, "We won't be able to help you anymore…"

"What. Why not?" I asked curiously eyeing the blood that glittered on their silver pelts, after all Starclan cats generally don't fight.

A pain filled screech filled the air and Silverstream's face filled with horror, "I have to go" she whispered and ran off, swiftly.

"There is a white she-cat, Half-moon, in the mountains. You must find her. Bring the three and the fallen warriors with you, you must find a way to venture into the dark forest. To defeat them at their core, and hurry-"

Feathertail then released a pain filled screech and fell, scarlet lapping at her feet. A ginger, black, and white she-cat stood over her. A white paw that was stained scarlet holding the smaller she-cat down. "Well. Well. Well. Look what we have here" she snarled.

"Let her go" I hissed, my claws digging in to the all-too-perfect grass.

The cat hissed and said, "Now why would I want to do that? I have after all caught a Starclan cat, and by extension caught the prophecy cat"

"You haven't caught me yet" I hissed.

"Run, Nightcloud, Your more important than a hundred Starclan cats" Feathertail hissed to me but I ignored her.

I instead turned my head towards the other she-cat as she spoke "So if I'm going to threaten you I might as well know your name, Mine's Mapleshade by the way."

"I'm Nightcloud, a cat that is apparently more brave than you"

Mapleshade hissed, but her voice was calm when she replied "And what makes you think that?"

"Well for one, you are to afraid to actually face me. Instead you just talk and hold a paw to an innocent cat's throat. While I watch you, extremely bored. Waiting for you to do something, like attack me. But you don't. You hide behind a bleeding cat, in weak cowardly fear." I taunt and that brings a rise out of her.

"You think that I'm a coward, well I'll just have to prove you wrong" she suddenly attacked me.

Her right paw swung through the air, But I ducked, before it could collide with my neck. But I didn't expect for her to also swing a left paw towards me feet at the same time, her paw was hooked inward so when it collided at my ankles she could jerk her paw towards her and it would leave me in a crumbled heap.

Needless to say, It worked.

I found myself looking a blood stained paws, but I jumped up before she could jerk her muzzle downward and cut open my neck. I did a move that Crowfeather had taught me, when he was still bothering to pretend he loved me. It was a Thunderclan move and it was useless in an empty Windclan plain, so I had never really used it. Until now.

I jumped upward using my back paws to push off a tree, doing a twist in midair and landing on Mapleshade's back. She screeched in surprise and tried to shake me off but I clung to her back and she fell to the ground under my weight.

"Feathertail, RUN, your bleeding half to death. Get help." I screeched at the wide eyed silver she-cat. She gave me a nervous glance, "I'll be fine, GO" I screamed at her and she ran off.

Mapleshade had managed to stand, and began running at a tree. She purposely slid to the ground using her strong back legs to push off, so that her back would hit the tree, well her back would if I wasn't on it. But I was and it was to late to jump off.

She suddenly stopped and I was flung off, my body hitting the tree so hard that my breath escaped me. I slid down the tree my head spinning and me breathless.

"Whose weak now" Mapleshade taunted, as I barely managed to stand. Scratches now covered my back from the bark and I felt warm liquid slid down my side.

I suddenly lunged and my claws caught her ear, leaving half of it flying through the air. She hissed and said, "Oh, you're going to pay for that"

Her claw cut through my side and I gasped for breath, breathing heavy and shaking off blood and sweat. I then lunged forward my heaving muzzle grabbing ahold of her neck. My teeth dug into her soft neck, "Leave now, and don't come back" I hissed and she shrugged and said, "You won now, but don't expect me to just disappear"

She then walked off, with her amber eyes narrowed and her newly made half-ear trailing blood.

I watched her and knew that she was right, This wasn't going to be the last I saw of her… but it might be the last I saw of Starclan.

_**Guess what. I'm not dead. Sorry that it took me so long to post but I had horrible writer's block and my friend wanted to go hunting so I went with her, and there is no internet at her cabin. Yes I know that I make a lot of excuses but I'm just that kind of person.**_

_**I don't know why I'm going to tell you this, but I'll tell you anyway. So I had beef jerky in my backpack and I forgot about it, so when I got back I found out that the backpack, and all of it's contents, were spread out all over the place. And that my dogs actually did eat my homework and the beef jerky… I'm still not sure why I told you that… but you know I already typed it so I don't see the point in deleting it.**_

_**Anyways, you know that Reviews and Favorites make the updates come faster –Leopardfang **_


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